Hello, First I should describe my background: I've been model railroading for about 15 yrs - N scale modular (DC/DCC) and British Finescale O (7mm/ft, 2 rail DC/DCC, mostly brass kit locos and wagons).
We have a toddler and live in the US and this will be his first Christmas in the US, so the tradition of Lionel trainset around the tree beckons! I've managed to find out quite a bit online already. I'll post what I'm thinking so anyone can tell me if I'm way off base; and then finish with some fairly simple beginner type questions.
Okay, I'm thinking about a loop around the tree, but also something that can be expanded over the years. Still keep it under the tree, but add a siding, perhaps a second loop, maybe a second train. Perhaps in 5+ years add our own control system (I'm the type of Dad who is more likely to build a robot with him, than teach him baseball!). This slow growth is good for the wallet and also his interest. There's no point in having sidings/etc at the moment (he is too young), but having a siding and freight could be good in a few years time.
So looking at it from that perspective, it seems like the "conventional" AC is the way to go. Easy to automate myself if I wish to (track detection is easier with 3 rail), and quite frankly there's no need for radio control or command control.
So that crosses off all the current Lionel starter sets with their "LionChief" systems. Browsing these forums, it seems like MTH get a lot of recommendations, so I've ordered a catalog. Are they all command control?
Actually I'm currently thinking of going for a "lightly used" ~10yr old Lionel set that runs off conventional AC and has the Fastrak (plastic base track being A Good Idea considering the application). A quick browse on EBay shows a number of "Polar Express" sets from the time of the movie that would fit these requirements - and of course have a Christmas theme.
So for the questions:
I've seen some references to MTH locos not working with the basic Lionel transformer. Is this still true?
How does the MTH plastic base track compare to Fastrak? From my experience with N, Kato always 'won' because it had the largest range and was widely available compared to the competition.
Are there different types of coupler? Or is everything the same? If different, are they easy to swap out? (ie. like N and British 7mm)
How interchangeable are the different command control systems? Can locos fitted with any particular systems be also used with conventional AC?
Regards,
Richard
